The AffordoMate solution to applying to grants is a multistep process that involves applicants and AFFORDABLE volunteers working together to fill-in an application. The first part of the process requires AFFORDABLE volunteers to record generalized Selenium tests for applications that AFFORDABLE applicants might use. Once qualifying applications are selected to be a part of the AFFORDABLE application system, volunteers will use the AffordoMate Plug-in and the Selenium IDE plug-in to generate a Selenium test for each application in sequence. A volunteer will identify different forms of input that are accepted by the AffordoMate Plug-in, the AffordoMate user interface presents a panel from which the volunteers can select database tags to assign to different input fields. AffordoMate then adds a set of commands to the Selenium test that will be later utilized by the postprocessor script. Once volunteers have finished registering input fields with database tags, they can submit their application and complete the recording in the Selenium IDE plug-in. Next, AffordoMate exports this generalized Selenium test as a file which is then given to the AFFORDABLE team by the volunteers.
The database portion retrieves all of the data related to a user so it can be input into the grant submission forms. The database is stored and runs on the virtual machine. The data is loaded in SQL from csv files. When a GET request is sent to the server, it queries the database for all information matching the given user id, such as full name, gender, ethnicity, and age. It returns the information as a JSON. This information is then sent to be entered into the grant form.
March 10th, 2021
Press Release – AFFORDABLE and Students at the University of Maryland
Version 1.0
AffordoMate: Selenium Plug-in Product – Streamlining the application process for AFFORDABLE Clients
AFFORDABLE, as an organization, has currently developed a way to solve the problem of streamlining the medical grant and program application process. They have developed an online user-based platform to automatically apply to multiple programs, grants and charities quickly and efficiently. To initiate the process, all a client needs to do is complete AFFORDABLE’s universal application, in which their answers are securely stored in a database to be utilized later for relevant charity and program applications.
Software engineering students from the University of Maryland connected with AFFORDABLE, this spring, are launching their AffordoMate browser plug-in that allows volunteers to help clients and patients find and apply for medical grants. The plug-in is part of a larger plan to make financial assistance for medical care more accessible to minority and disenfranchised communities that are often overlooked or do not know about these opportunities. This distinct Selenium based plug-in, allows for massive applications to be completed efficiently with the clients and patients stored information. AFFORDABLE’s volunteers would learn our easy to use AffordoMate plug-in, along with the Selenium IDE plug-in to help generate a Selenium script of a completed application with the appropriate tags provided in our browser plug-in. The second part of our program will then take the generic volunteer generated script, customize the script to fit a particular client and store it until it is activated. Then once activated it will automatically fill out all the forms relevant for that client with the retrieved information from the database, that was previously filled out in the clients initial application with AFFORDABLE. Our product combines both our plug-in and our program so that our team is able to effectively allow clients to mass apply for grants and programs.
In summary, the AffordoMate plug-in product is a crucial software tool that will aid AFFORDABLE, specifically their volunteers and clients, in the process of applying for a numerous amount of external applications for financial assistance, charitable programs, and healthcare needs. This software will be able to expand and maximize the reach and success of AFFORDABLE’s clients that are in need of assistance.